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Chelsea v Man United and other memorable back-to-back fixtures

This week sees Chelsea take on Manchester United in the Capital One Cup, just days after their controversial clash at Stamford Bridge. With the after-shocks of United's 3-2 victory still being felt, the two will once again go head-to-head in what will likely be another mouth-watering tie. Sometimes the fixture list breeds some extreme familiarity between opponents…

Real Madrid and Barcelona – 2010/11 season
El Clasico is one of the world's most watched football matches, as Real Madrid and Barcelona clash in a fixture which is as venomous as it is enthralling. In the 2010/11 season, however, the historical fixture was sent into overkill, when four Clasicos were played over the space of 17 days. Starting off with Real Madrid's attempt to derail Barca's title charge, the two faced each other in three competitions, with Barca eventually coming out on top. Following a 1-1 draw in the league, Madrid inflicted a blow to Messi and his team-mates, with a 1-0 victory in the Copa De Rey Final to win the first trophy of the season. A week later, however, and with the champagne still bubbling, Barcelona all but knocked Real out of the Champions League with a resolute 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu, before finally eliminating them in the Nou Camp.

Leeds United and Man United - 1991/92 season
By the end of January 1992, Howard Wilkinson must have been glad to see the back of title rivals Man United, after his Leeds side took on the Red Devils three times in the space of 17 days. The run began with Leeds meeting Ferguson's United in the league at Elland Road, where the division's top two played out a 1-1 draw, and continued ten days later in the quarter-finals of the League Cup. With the league finely poised as the season passed the midway point, United took the momentum, crushing Leeds 3-1 at Elland Road, before defeating them again just days later to knock the Whites out of the FA Cup. Leeds had the last laugh, though, by pipping United to the league title come the end of the season.

Liverpool and Arsenal – 2007 and 2008
During the 2006/07 season, Liverpool found themselves on the wrong side of two hidings at Anfield at the hands of Arsenal, as they were sent crashing out of both the FA Cup and the League Cup against the same opposition, on home turf, in the space of three days. The next season, however, it was to get much more intense for Rafa Benitez's side as they faced the Gunners three times in the space of six days. A league clash was sandwiched between a huge Champions League quarter-final, with Liverpool securing two 1-1 draws at the Emirates, before overcoming their tormentors in the Champions League second-leg at Anfield, winning 4-2 to progress to the semi-finals.

Arsenal and Liverpool – 1979/90 seasonBefore Arsenal and Liverpool's mammoth cup clashes over a quarter of a century later, the two clubs faced a quite incredible five fixtures against each other in the space of just 19 days in 1980. The intense marathon of matches ran from 12 April to 1 May and would see four FA Cup fixtures (three of them replays) and a league match. The two sides could not be separated until the third and final FA Cup semi-final replay, a game which resulted in a tense 1-0 victory for Arsenal. It wouldn't be a good omen for the Gunners though, as they lost that season's final to West Ham, courtesy of a Trevor Brooking goal, while Liverpool ended the season as champions.

Listen to Chelsea v Manchester United in the Capital One Cup Fourth Round live and exclusive on talkSPORT from 7pm